Sunday, November 6, 2016

Johnny Big Buck

After chasing mule deer for a couple days for myself, I hung out with the LaRue's for a few days while they tried to fill their tags. Here is Johnny with his big 'ole buck.

Montana has some pretty good programs out here for youth hunts. I think it's great. In the area John shot his, they only give out 60 tags for mule deer bucks. Thirty of those tags are for youth hunters and in that area, there are plenty of ranches that allow access for youth hunters. It gives kids an opportunity they probably wouldn't get in many other states to take such quality deer. Nice work Johnny.

As for the hunt, we headed out early this morning and hiked up to the top of a ridge overlooking the access road that runs along a creek dissecting two of the ranches we had permission to hunt. We then walked the ridge glassing the coulees that dump off of it. This guy was hanging out with a few does and a smaller buck at the top of the second coulee. We put the sneak on him, Johnny took a shot...and then another...Let's just say, had we got him on that first shot it would have been an easy, down-hill drag to the truck. As many hunts turn out however, Johnny would have to capitalize on his second stalk on this buck, which led us to the bottom of the next drainage and a much harder out. None-the-less, he got a great buck and he should be proud of it. It's bigger than any deer I've ever shot.

I've talked about the progression I've experienced with hunting and fishing either in the blog or on The Montana Dream Cast, where at one point, I really enjoyed figuring things out for myself and being successful at beating the game I was after whether it was a whitetail, elk, or brown trout. I am proud to be somewhat self sustaining and able to harvest most of the red meat we eat. I admit that have at times, looked to shoot trophies as making some kind of stamp on how proficient I've become but somewhere along the line, my objectives have changed and I have learned that as much as I do like the process of taking animals or even catching fish, one of the biggest kicks I get is watching and helping other people be successful in the outdoors--especially when those people are young people.

I've hunted many times with the LaRue's and have witnessed both Johnny and Gage shoot their first deer as well as their second and now this big mule deer. We've duck hunted and fished and I have to say, I've really enjoyed and can't thank them all enough for letting me be a part of their adventures. I'm sure there will be more.

Keep 'em where they live...

Oh, yeah! Don't forget to post your hunting pics with your kids to The Montana Dream Facebook page. I'd love to post them on the blog.

The Montana Dream YouTube Channel

Search This Blog

Total Pageviews

Tweet Tweet

Blog Archive

Follow Us on Facebook

About Me

Growing up in Minnesota, I always enjoyed the outdoors. I was fishing by the time I was three and hunted as soon as I could hold a shotgun. I fell out of fishing for a while with college and moving around and quite honestly, just being a little bored with spin fishing. That first tug from a Missouri River brown on a streamer however, absolutely changed my life. I now live, work and play in the outdoors of Montana.